Services/GATS

Pronunciamiento de la ASC ante la nueva cumbre ministerial de la OMC

Original Publication Date: 
30 November, 2009
Source: 
Alianza Social Continental

Entre el 30 de noviembre y el 2 de diciembre de 2009 se realizará en Ginebra la VII reunión ministerial de la OMC. Será un nuevo esfuerzo de reanudar las negociaciones de la Ronda de Doha, iniciada hace 8 años, y un escenario donde los países desarrollados nuevamente intentarán imponer su propia agenda de liberalización y desregulación de los mercados.

Call to Indian Government: No WTO-Doha compromise

Original Publication Date: 
18 June, 2009
Source: 
Focus on the Global South
Date: 18 June, 2009 Dear Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh, As the newly formed UPA coalition government is just settling in to govern for the next five years, there is news that Commerce Minister Anand Sharma is already on his way to the United States (US) to bilaterally iron out differences to seal the trade deal that was launched during the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) 4th Ministerial Meeting in Doha. At stake in these trade negotiations are hundreds of millions of livelihoods in the farming and non-agriculture sectors that India has fought hard to preserve over the past eight years since the launch of the Doha Development Round.

Ken Saro-Wiwa: the day of truth?

Original Publication Date: 
20 May, 2009
Source: 
Transnational Institute / The Guardian
It will send shockwaves through boardrooms if the predictions of the executed campaigner are proved right in a US court

Lula Calls on Saudis to Join Brazil in Creating Petrochemical Powerhouse

Original Publication Date: 
18 May, 2009
Source: 
Brazzilmag
Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said this Sunday, May 17, at the end of a two-day trip to Saudi Arabia, that he called on king Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for the two countries to jointly seek reciprocal investment opportunities.

EU raises stakes for US in biodiesel battle

Original Publication Date: 
5 March, 2009
Source: 
Financial Times

The European Union is gearing up to slap duties on imported US biodiesel in the latest sign of rising trade tensions as world economies slump into
recession.

ASEAN tables emergency safeguard proposal in GATS talks

Original Publication Date: 
29 March, 2007
Source: 
Riaz K. Tayob, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Mar07/12)
After years of protracted negotiations among WTO members on having an emergency safeguard mechanism to deal with adverse economic impacts as a result of services liberalization in the WTO, the ASEAN group (excluding Singapore) has tabled a proposal on it.

Another ‘Enchilada’ on Services

Original Publication Date: 
19 March, 2007
Source: 
Washington Trade Daily
A second Doha Development Agenda services 'Enchilada' session was held yesterday - where Malaysia and South Korea spelled out what they intend to present in their revised services offers and stated 'must-haves' in the final package, trade diplomats said

WTO Services negotiations set to intensify

Original Publication Date: 
13 February, 2007
Source: 
Go Chien Yen, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
At a meeting of the Special Session of the Council for Trade in Services at the WTO on Friday 2 February, WTO members reiterated that services is central to the 'triangle' of issues on market access in agriculture and NAMA negotiations.

Developing countries voice opposition to ?necessity test? in GATS

Original Publication Date: 
30 November, 2006
Source: 
By Riaz K Tayob, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
At an UNCTAD expert meeting on universal access to services held last week, the diplomats of several developing countries voiced opposition to the inclusion of the 'necessity test' principle in disciplines being negotiated for domestic regulation in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) of the WTO.

Problems in providing universal access to services highlighted at UNCTAD meeting

Original Publication Date: 
30 November, 2006
Source: 
By Riaz K Tayob, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues
Developing countries face challenges and problems in providing universal access to services to their people, and these were brought up in an expert meeting on "Universal Access to Services" organised by UNCTAD last week.

A Services Fire-Side Chat

Original Publication Date: 
27 November, 2006
Source: 
Washington Trade Daily
A fire-side chat yesterday with a score of Doha Development Agenda services negotiators failed to bring convergence on setting new time-lines for submitting revised offers as key members remain divided over how different elements within the services mandate ought to proceed at this juncture

Attacking China on Services

Original Publication Date: 
27 November, 2006
Source: 
Washington Trade Daily
Industrialized countries - led by the United States, the European Union, Canada and Japan - yesterday attacked China in the World Trade Organization for not complying with its accession commitments in the areas of financial services

Pursuing a Services Re-start

Original Publication Date: 
19 November, 2006
Source: 
Washington Trade Daily
Washington and Brussels on Friday jointly reached out to a score of developing countries - including Brazil, South Africa, Thailand and Kenya, among others - to accelerate the Doha Development Agenda services negotiations, saying the time has come to enter into hard bargaining on what each can give and take in both market openings and rules.

G33 slams “flawed” World Bank paper on special products

Original Publication Date: 
31 October, 2006
Source: 
By Martin Khor, TWN Info Service on WTO and Trade Issues (Nov06/2)
The Group of 33 in the WTO has complained to World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz about a paper on Special Products (SPs) produced by the Bank which the Group says contains a serious misrepresentation of the purpose and effects of SPs.

Schwab calls on services industry to increase trade lobbying efforts

Original Publication Date: 
5 October, 2006
Source: 
Inside US Trade
U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab this week told members of the services industry that they are leaving too much of the lobbying for approval of trade agreements to agriculture groups, which are taking on that effort to an extent that is disproportionate to the importance of agriculture for the U.S. economy.

Mandelson: Enlarged EU preserves its public services model in WTO

Original Publication Date: 
26 September, 2006
Source: 
The EU and the WTO
The EU has become the first member of the World Trade Organization to use the provisions of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) to enable Members to modify their trade commitments.

U.S., EU Reach Agreement to Open European Market to U.S. Services Companies

Original Publication Date: 
25 September, 2006
Source: 
By Gary G. Yerkey, International Trade
The United States and the European Union have concluded an agreement that will provide new commercial opportunities for U.S. banks and other service providers in the 25-nation EU, U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab announced Sept. 25.

Crunch Time in Geneva: pressure tactics in the GATS negotiations

Original Publication Date: 
20 June, 2006
Source: 
by Scott Sinclair, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Global civil society should not be lulled into complacency by gloomy media reports about the deadlock in the Doha Round negotiations.

Collective Request Mode 3

Original Publication Date: 
27 March, 2006
Source: 
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)
Link to the collective request on Mode 3.

Collective Requests: Services related to agriculture, MFN exemptions, Distribution Services

Original Publication Date: 
20 March, 2006
Source: 
Alexandra Strickner, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)
Links to collective services requests related to agriculture, MFN exemptions and distribution services.